CALIFORNIA'S PALM SPRINGS

by Lee Foster

Nestled in the Coachella Valley between the San Jacinto Mountains to the west and the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south, Palm Springs' reputation as the perfect desert oasis is well deserved. Snow-capped peaks, including 10,831-foot San Jacinto, rise abruptly above a desert plain that is bathed in sunshine 354 days a year. The desert air is warm and dry, and the climate is mild, sheltered by the western mountains.

The impression of Palm Springs from the air is that of a checkerboard in the upper Colorado Desert, speckled green and blue with luxurious golf courses and swimming pools, befitting this ultimate resort town. The main business in Palm Springs, which originally attracted visitors because of its mineral springs, is sport and relaxation, so you'll find the atmosphere low-key and tranquil. The town has 45,000 residents and three million annual visitors.

Surrounding desert and mountains offer the vacationer a fascinating portrait of the flora, fauna, and geology of this arid region. Beyond the city limits lie silent canyons, desert reserves, pine-studded promontories, and wildlife sanctuaries.

Though the area is a desert, there is, paradoxically, a huge underground reservoir of water, making the Palm Springs region relatively self-sufficient for water, even with all its 90 golf courses. Fairly elaborate recycling systems get the used water back into the aquifer, except for the water that evaporates, which rankles the old timers, who recall when the air was drier. The humidity is currently rated at about 4 percent. Agriculture east of Palm Springs depends on imported Colorado River water. On another environmental note, northwest of Palm Springs is one of the major wind farms in the world. The San Gorgonio Pass, where Interstate Highway 10 passes by Palm Springs to the north, is the site of more than 4,000 wind turbines. Southern California Edison asserts that these turbines power about 93,000 homes. An observer traveling through this wind farm can only hope that the operation is a cost-effective contribution to the larger environmental situation rather than merely a tax and investment boondoggle for a few.

GETTING TO PALM SPRINGS

Commercial jets land at the Palm Springs Airport, 130 miles east of Los Angeles. From Los Angeles you can also drive there via Interstate 10 or Highway 60. From the east, Interstate 10 cuts across the desert, while Highway 62 offers a slower, scenic route through the surrounding mountains.

PALM SPRINGS' HISTORY

To comprehend the history of Palm Springs, spend a day at the Joshua Tree National Park, less than an hour's drive away, east of the city. Within the desert park you can find evidence of three distinct periods in history--the original Indian settlements, the gold prospectors of the 1860s, and the cattle ranchers who followed with their herds. At the Desert Queen-Keys Ranch you can view holes hewn in the bedrock, where Indians ground acorns and other seeds. You can also see an old mine, legacy of the gold prospectors, and an adobe barn used by the ranchers of the 1880s.

The entry to Joshua Tree is Twentynine Palms, so named because in the 1870s there were indeed that many palms here (now there are many more). Pause at the Twentynine Palms Museum (6136 Adobe Road) to view displays on the area's Indian, cattle, homesteading, and mining story.

Joshua Tree National Park includes more than 850 square miles north and east of Palm Springs. Amidst the dramatic desert scenery, with mountains rising to 5,800 feet from the 2,000-foot plain, the most spectacular plant is the Joshua tree, a member of the lily family. Joshua trees rise to 40 feet in height and bear foot-long greenish-white blossoms in March-April. Cryptic historical lore says that the first Mormons in the region gave the common name to the plant, imagining that the outstretched arms of the plant suggested the prayerful posture of the biblical Joshua. March and April are also the main months for spring wildflower viewing.

Though the desert environment is severe, the attentive observer will discover extensive animal and bird life here, with the desert bighorn sheep as the largest resident. Nine campgrounds are open to the public, but only some have available water. Any fuel or firewood needed by the camper must be brought in. Stop at the main Visitor Center at Twentynine Palms or the smaller southern-entrance visitor center at Cottonwood Springs for an orientation to the park, which has numerous marked nature trails, such as those at Cholla Cactus Garden and Cap Rock, and splendid views, including Salton View, which shows you a panorama from the Salton Sea to Mexico. (For further information, write the Superintendent, Joshua Tree National Park, 74485 National Park Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277-3597, phone 760/367-7511.)

PALM SPRINGS' MAIN ATTRACTIONS

In addition to the numerous resorts offering golf, tennis, swimming, and sunning, the main attractions of Palm Springs include the Moorten's Botanical Garden, Indian-owned Palm Canyons, Desert Museum, Living Desert Reserve, and the aerial tramway to Mt. San Jacinto.

The Moorten Botanical Garden (1701 S. Palm Canyon Drive, 760/327-6555) is a popular first stop in Palm Springs because it shows what plants can survive in some of the world's major deserts--North American, Baja Californian, Central American, and African. Started in 1938, the gardens are open for the casual stroller. A guided tour with the owner can be arranged for a fee.

The Indian-owned Palm Canyons of Palm Springs give a fascinating glimpse at the natural world and the political structure of the region. Though Palm Springs has a certain Hollywood aura, leading one to suspect that the presence of palms is a man-made addition, the palm trees here are ancient and native Washingtonia filifera, with some individual specimens ranging from 1,500-2,000 years old. The land on which the palms grow remains in the hands of the Cahuilla band of the Agua Caliente Indians, the ancient landholders here, who own every other square mile section. A checkerboard appearance from the air follows the political pattern of development, or the lack of it, in adjacent sections since the Mission Indian Relief Act of 1891 set up the boundaries. When you hear tales of impoverished Native Americans, know that the Agua Caliente are notable exceptions. They own some of the choicest real estate in the region, including the Spa Hotel and Casino, site of the original mineral spring thought to have restorative powers. (The public is invited to soak here for a modest fee.) Call the tribal office at 760/325-5673 for full details about touring their lands. The Agua Caliente band of Cahuillas has not had an idyllic existence, however. At the time of the Spanish arrival, it is estimated there were 25,000 of these Indians. Smallpox wiped out most of them in the 1860s. Today there are reported to be about 900 Cahuilla, of which 271 are Agua Caliente, who own about 32,000 acres of land, about 42% of the Coachella Valley.

Rich in dollars today, the Cahuillas were wealthy in botanical knowledge earlier. It is said that they knew how to survive in the desert by using roughly a fifth of the plants in the region for food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. The native palms of these palm canyons yielded for the Indians about 200 pounds of fruit per tree per year. Under medicine one must add mankind's universal desire for an hallucinogen of some kind to ease the burden of existence. For the Indians, the escape was a potion of datura or jimson weed.

The Indians have licensed a jeep concessionaire to organize tours of the canyons. The drivers tend to have a fairly good botanical knowledge of the scene. For a two-hour jeep tour of the main canyons, contract Desert Adventures (611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, 760/324-5337).

Palm Canyon boasts some 3,000 native Washingtonia palms along its 15-mile length. Formerly, the Indians used the palms for sandals, baskets, utensils, and shelter. You can drive through the canyon and view the palms from vantage points, but drive cautiously along the narrow roads. Hiking and horseback riding are popular here and in nearby Andreas Canyon, which is also on tribal land. Several stables do a brisk business in horse rentals. Andreas Canyon has attractive rock formations and a stream running through it. When you enter either canyon, the Indians charge a nominal fee. Murray Canyon is the third palm canyon easily explored here.

The Agua Caliente have built on their land an Agua Caliente Cultural Center (760/323-0151).

The Palm Springs Desert Museum (101 Museum Drive, 760/325-7186) has become the cultural focus of the area because of its emphasis on the performing and visual arts as well as nature. A 450-seat theater offers an attractive platform for performances. The Denney Western Art Wing emphasizes all-American productions. Be sure to check what current show, often of Southwest artists, is on display. Natural History galleries acquaint you with the indigenous plant and animal life. Indian history is explained, with over a thousand Indian artifacts and crafts. Two sunken sculpture gardens ornament the 5-1/2 acre grounds.

The Living Desert Wildlife and Botanical Park (760/346-5694) is located 15 miles from Palm Springs in Palm Desert, a satellite town famous for its golf courses and celebrity tournaments (Bob Hope in January, Dinah Shore in March). The Living Desert, on Portola Avenue, is a 1,200-acre zoo and botanical display featuring the various desert areas of the world. There are over 200 animals, plus an aviary, and about six miles of self-guided trails. An interesting ethnobotanical garden features the plants that enabled Indians to survive by providing them with food and fiber. The Pearl McManus Hall presents a fascinating "after sundown" room in which visitors can see a variety of nocturnal desert dwellers scampering about.

If you want to acquire some understanding of the plants and animals of this desert region, make this Living Desert reserve your first stop. You can walk a mile-long, paved path alongside gardens of plants from the representative regional deserts--the Mojave, Upper Colorado, Yuman, and Sonoran. While you walk, admiring the various cacti and other plants, you pass stations showing the animals of the desert, such as the kit fox, tortoises, and coyote. Birds of the desert are particularly well presented, both in a walk-through aviary and in separate exhibits for prairie falcons, kestrels, owls, hawks, and golden eagles. You'll emerge with a better awareness of the subtle defenses that desert plants and animals have developed to conserve water against the triple threats of searing sun, high temperatures, and desiccating wind.

Within Palm Springs an Aerial Tramway, built in the early 1960s, runs from the desert floor to Mt. San Jacinto. This tramway excursion (One Tramway Road, 760/325-1391) is a dramatic and pleasant way to enter the San Jacinto Wilderness State Park. In 14 minutes you'll climb through five botanical zones from Valley Station in Chino Canyon at 2,643 feet to the 8,516-foot Mountain Station at the edge of Long Valley. The ride has appeal for several reasons. If you happen to be in Palm Springs during a warm period, the temperature at the top of the ride may be 40 degrees cooler than on the valley floor. Hiking in the highlands can be a pleasure in summer when survival in Palm Springs itself depends on air-conditioned support systems. When the weather is cool in Palm Springs, in the winter, know that the temperature at the top of the tramway will be chilly and snowy. Views during the sharp vertical ascent are stunning, both during the climb itself and as you linger in the cocktail lounge or picnic grounds at the top. The Mountain Station also boasts a restaurant that offers a pleasant repast. Over 50 miles of trails in the San Jacinto Wilderness invite hikers in summer and cross-country skiers in winter (skis can be taken on the tram). As you travel up and down the tram, you will be absorbed by the white striations on the rocks, the red lichen, and the tenacity of the elements in this forbidding domain. There may be snow on the crest, any time of the year.

From Mountain Station the hike is six miles to the top of Mt. San Jacinto. When you reach the high altitude, the pine-clothed terrain contrasts sharply with the stark desert environment of the valley floor. All considered, the aerial tram offers one of most distinctive vertical ascents available anywhere to the traveler.

Back in Palm Springs, the Village Green Heritage Center (219-223 South Palm Canyon Drive, 760/323-8297) is a historical museum with the two oldest homes in the town (the McCallum Adobe, circa 1885, and Miss Cornelia White's house, from 1894.

The city fathers and mothers of Palm Springs expend considerable energy to preserve and perpetuate the tone of the community. Careful zoning codes restrict building size and ban such nuances as billboards and posted prices. All utilities, of course, are underground. The poshness surfaces in statistics, such as: there are 10,000 swimming pools in the city. The words hotel and motor inn are used in local parlance and the word motel is shunned. To run for mayor it helps to have a celebrity past, such as the late Sonny Bono. Undergraduates are welcome at spring-break if they don't intrude on the tranquillity.

Golf courses are a major draw here, with Palm Springs referring to itself as the "Golf Capital of the World." The first championship course, the Thunderbird, opened in 1951. Today there are a plethora of private and public courses, with Palm Springs Municipal ranking as one of the better public courses.

NEARBY TRIPS FROM PALM SPRINGS

Aside from the Joshua Tree National Park, nearby trips from Palm Springs offer rewards in all directions.

The 90s is a reflective period in the desert, after the rapid building in the 80s of some 4,500 luxurious new hotel rooms and an increase in the desert communities population to about 200,000 (which climbs to 700,000 in winter). The Westin Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, done in a peach-colored Moroccan oasis motif, epitomizes these grand tourist palaces in the desert, which offer all amenities, from golf to swimming, and a high level of service. Many of the new properties were built with Japanese money. A few have gone through bankruptcy or quieter "reorganization" in troubled travel times. However, for the consumer, that means they have now gone through their shakedown period and the prices can be reasonable, even bargainable, by the average traveler.

Several of the new properties have distinct facilities. The Ritz-Carlton rests on a promontory overlooking the valley and nurtures a local population of desert bighorn sheep. The Renaissance Esmeralda Resort in Indian Wells has a Mediterranean feel with its blue-and-green fabric, tile, and wood decor. Marriott's Desert Springs in Palm Desert defines the word mega-resort with its huge atrium, boats that travel on waterways around the property, and abundance of pools. However, the desert also offers exclusive getaway resorts, such as Two Bunch Palms, where the spa regimen is mud and mineral baths, organic foods, and privacy.

As expected, the dining opportunities here are sumptuous. Try the alfresco brunch buffet at the Ritz-Carlton, overlooking the Coachella Valley. Indulge in a quiet Mediterranean evening at the Sirocco at the Renaissance Esmeralda. Inventive California cuisine is the specialty at the Cabrillo Room at Marriott's Rancho Las Palmas. The La Concha Restaurant at the Westin Mission Hills serves a seafood-in-the-desert menu heavily influenced by Hawaiian flavors.

Tourism is the big business in the northwest part of the Coachella Valley. Agriculture assumes dominance in the southeast portion, roughly one billion dollars of dominance, with table grapes the main crop, though dates are the most exotic crop. The Coachella Valley, with its year-round warm climate, plus plenty of imported water, is a promised land of agriculture. Where else can you get 10 cuttings per year on an alfalfa field? Frost-tender crops, such as grapefruit, grow here with success, and the year-round warm temperature, with plentiful sunlight, allows a wide range of "summer" crops, such as squash and tomatoes, to flourish here in the winter, when markets are strong and prices high.

Too see this entire panorama, plus the pink hue of dawn on the mountains, get up at 4 a.m. and take a dawn balloon flight over the region. Contact John Zimmer at Desert Balloon Charters (760/398-8575) for a ride aloft.

East of the city on Interstate 10 lies the date capital of the United States, Indio, where several delicate varieties of dates are grown. Some 250,000 date palms here yield about 40 million pounds of fruit per year. At specialty shops you can indulge in such culinary pleasures as date milkshakes. The Shield's Date Garden, 3-1/2 miles west of Indio, shows a 25-minute film on how dates are grown. At the National Date Festival, in mid-February, an Arabian Nights theme includes camel races.

South from Indio is the Salton Sea, originally a dry desert basin below sea level. The Salton Sea was created in 1905 with the flooding of the Colorado River, which emptied billions of gallons of water into this shallow desert sinkhole before being diverted back into its riverbed. Today the sea and surrounding desert comprise a 16,000-acre recreation area. In addition to boating, water-skiing, and fishing, the desert features canyons with petroglyphs, hot mineral springs, sand dunes, rock hunting grounds, and miles of trails. (The area is managed by the Salton Sea State Recreation Headquarters, PO Box 3166, North Shore, CA 92254, 760/393-3052.)

Of particular interest are the rock formations known as fish traps, found just north of the Salton Sea. Archaeologists surmise that the circular stone pits were constructed to trap fish in the extinct Lake Cahuilla, which covered the area 900 to 1400 A.D.

Visit the Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge along the eastern shore. During the winter months 150 species of birds can be spotted amidst the fields and marshes. Migrating geese, especially, cloud the sky when they lift off the water at dawn.

West of the Salton Sea (and south of Palm Springs) lies the immense desert reserve, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, spreading over 600,000 acres of the Colorado Desert. At the main park headquarters (760/767-5311), located at Borrego Palm Canyon, you can obtain information and maps after viewing the exhibits on geology, history, flora, and fauna. The park honors Captain Juan Bautista de Anza, the Spanish explorer who pioneered the route to California in 1774. The word borrego in Spanish means sheep, referring to the wild mountain sheep here. Originally, there were two parks, now joined. Though immense, this desert park is accessible by more than 600 miles of roads, and camping is permissible anywhere within the reserve. The immensity of the park makes it advisable that you file a plan with the rangers so that patrols to remote areas can locate you if you should experience difficulty, such as car failure. In this arid wilderness it is still possible to see desert bighorn sheep, as well as over 600 species of plants.

West of Palm Springs, the city of Riverside is noted for its citrus growing, Mission Inn, and University of California-Riverside Botanic Gardens.

Groves of navel oranges proliferate in the region, which gave substance to the name of nearby Orange County before the population surge eradicated many plantings. The navel orange was created here as a mutant deliberately cultivated.

The Mission Inn (Mission Inn Avenue, 909/784-0300) is a historic mission-style hotel with antiques, bells, and crosses, plus a 200-year-old altar from Guanajuato, Mexico. The inn suggests California's fascination with the Missions as an architectural motif.

The entire UC Riverside Campus can be perused as one of the significant campuses in the UC system, but the botanic gardens have special interest to the general traveler. Not only do they show desert plants, but the director of the botanic gardens has made substantial investment in seed material of extinct species of plants. The destruction of the genetic pool of plants in many areas of the world proceeds so rapidly that preserving seed has been chosen as a more efficacious approach than preserving the living plant material.

Northwest of Palm Springs is the San Bernardino National Forest and town. San Bernardino is the largest county by area in the U.S. Founded by Mormons in the 1850s, the town is the base for excursions to the resort areas of Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake. A famous scenic drive, called the Rim of the World Drive, winds 40 miles along Highway 18 to the lake district, offering pleasing scenic views. The most prominent sight is from Lakeview Point, at 7,203 feet, where you can see the road snaking along Bear Canyon and gaze at Big Bear Lake.

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PALM SPRINGS: IF YOU GO

For information on the immediate Palm Springs area, contact Palm Springs Tourism, 401 South Pavilion Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262, 760/778-8418, 800/347-7746, website http://www.palm-springs.org.

For information on the other desert communities and resorts, contact the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Bureau, 69-930 Highway 111, Suite 201, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270, 760/770-9000, website http://www.desert-resorts.com.

This article was written by Lee Foster of Foster Travel Publishing. Contact him at his website www.fostertravel.com or via email at lee@fostertravel.com. Copyright Lee Foster.

Lee Foster's most recent travel guidebooks are Northern California History Weekends (Globe Pequot), which won a Lowell Thomas Award, and Adventure Guide to Northern California (Hunter Publishing).

Lee Foster's new literary book is Travels in an American Imagination: The Spiritual Geography of Our Time.

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